Pregnancy-related anxiety and affecting factors

Objective: This study was conducted to examine pregnancy-related anxiety and its affecting factors. Materials and Methods: The population of the cross-sectional study consisted of pregnant women who applied to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Polyclinic of a district hospital in the Inner Aegean. Sample: 384 pregnant women were reached by calculating the smallest sample in the Epi info program. The data of the study were collected by face-to-face interview technique using the 'Individual Diagnosis Form' and the 'Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale'. Research data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 program, and t test, ANOVA and LSD post hoc test were used to analyze the data. Findings: The age of the pregnant women participating in the study is 27.72±4.51. It was determined that the anxiety and total score of pregnant women regarding their pregnancy was 63.13± 12.70. Sub-dimension ranges are similar, where extended scale scores are at a low level and the highest anxiety scores are with attitudes towards birth (2.72±0.87), the lowest anxiety scores are with not accepting pregnancy (1.49±0.71), body size. image concerns (1.61±0.55), concerns about the baby (1.70±0.76) and concerns about motherhood (1.71±0.81) were found in adults. Anxiety in pregnant women is caused by demographic characteristics such as the development status of both their spouse and themselves, professions, income level, where everyone lives, and family type. It includes general health conditions such as feeling healthy and happy, balanced nutrition, and anxiety. In addition, the number of children, receiving education about birth and birth, going for regular check-ups, having problems with the spouse, having someone in need of care at home, asking for help from the spouse/midwife/doctor/friend when there are problems with reproduction, problems in daily events due to pregnancy, labor and labor. Anxiety, such as experiencing related fear and anxiety, varies widely. Conclusion: As a result, although the pregnancy-related anxiety level of the pregnant women participating in the study was low, the highest concerns were "attitudes towards birth", "attitudes towards medical personnel" and "birth concerns", which is thought to be a guide for health professionals providing services. Since many sociodemographic, obstetric characteristics, life behaviors and social support levels are associated with anxiety, it will be useful for midwives to evaluate the psychological state of the mother during follow-ups and plan the necessary interventions. Key Words: Pregnancy, anxiety, risk factors, midwifery 2024, 73 pages